Apple Watch and iPhone not communicating

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1

This is a different problem to previous posts.

I have Drafts on my iPhone 12 Pro (iOS 15.6.1) and have just installed it on my new Apple Watch Series 7 (watchOS 8.7). After over 12 hours of use there seems to be no synchronisation between them. Nothing from Drafts on my iPhone is showing on the Watch and vice versa.

I have created two dictation files on my Watch but they haven’t synced to the iPhone. The only way I can see them is if I tap the green capture button in the Watch app. They are listed under ‘Suggestions’ but when I tap them a tone is played and I am returned the main menu screen. They don’t open.

Also in the Watch app Inbox and Flagged show zero content. Tapping on either brings up a ‘No Drafts found’ message.

I realise this situation is similar to previous posts about syncing from an iPhone to the Watch but this is the other way around.

I had hoped to find a new and productive use for Drafts but so far I just feel disappointed and frustrated. Can anyone help solve this problem? Thanks.

2

I would start by rebooting both the watch and the phone (power off-on). That will most likely resolve the problem.

Sometimes the iOS-watchOS connection layer does not get established properly when a new watch app is installed (at the system level). Not super common these days, but it does happen now and then on new installs, and occasionally on updates.

After the reboot, first open Drafts on the phone then return to the home screen. That will force an update to get pushed to the watch, hopefully restoring the connection. Then you should be able to open the app on the watch and it will update.

If that does not work, it’s also possible some corruption occurred in the install process, and then next thing to try would be to remove and re-add the Drafts app on the watch using the Watch app on the phone.

Don’t worry, these problems are not terribly common (used to be in early watchOS days, but Apple has ironed out most of the issues). Once the connection is properly established, I would not expect you will see any additional issues.

3

Thank you for your prompt and helpful reply.

I’m happy to report that rebooting both devices seems to have solved the problem and full sync is at last possible.

Appreciate the help.

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4

Maybe I have a similar problem- after recent update Drafts does not appear as an available complication on watch faces.

I have drafts on iPhone and watch both working and communicating but the complication option is not there- infuriating as I used drafts from watch screen many times a day.

I have restarted watch…iPhone…re installed drafts on iPhone and watch - complication ( ironic name really) not available.

Any thoughts?

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